A new face is looking out over downtown Prince George.
It was unveiled Friday during a ceremony hosted by the 2015 Canada Winter Games committee and is part of an exterior beautification project at Canada Games House. The image -- of a man wearing reflective ski goggles on a sunlit hill -- is part of a 24-foot mural that was spray-painted by Milan Basic, a 41-year-old local artist. Basic's piece of work met with the approval of everyone on hand, including Mayor Shari Green.
"It just adds to the excitement, the urban vitality that you're going to see when we have the athletes here," Green told the crowd that had gathered to watch the unveiling at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Quebec Street. "This beautiful building behind us stands out."
Green then offered a quip about the large blank wall of the Telus building, right next door to Canada Games House.
"The pressure is on for Telus to do something with their concrete wall," she said to laughter. "We'll see what they come up with."
The Canada Winter Games committee commissioned Basic to paint the mural. He started drawing his sketch on Sunday night and worked every evening during the week to complete the job. He finished at about 4 a.m. on Friday. Basic estimated he spent between 30 and 40 hours on the project and said he was happy to have been given the opportunity to do it.
"I'm really big on community, and I feel like the way I can contribute to community is by bringing colour to Prince George," he said.
"This is a legacy. This is a legacy for my children, for your children and on and on. That's what matters the most to me."
Basic used paint designed specifically for murals, so the piece will have a long life span. He said an anti-graffiti coating will be applied, which he finds ironic because he started out as a graffiti artist many years ago.
"That's what cracks me up," laughed Basic, who was born and raised in Vancouver and moved to Prince George two years ago.
The image itself is that of a volunteer who was working at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax.
Stuart Ballantyne, CEO of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, used the world "phenomenal" to describe the mural.
"I think it's iconic," he said. "That's what we wanted to achieve with launching our offices here in downtown. We knew that that was a great space to put a mural and we thank the BID Group for giving us the opportunity to have the canvas and a new office but we also thank Milan Basic for just an amazing piece of art that will last forever."
Earlier this month, the BID Group of Companies and the 2015 Canada Winter Games finalized a partnership that will see the Games staff move its headquarters from Seventh Avenue to the location at Fifth and Quebec. The BID Group owns space on the second floor of the building, which houses the downtown post office.
A mural that will stretch along the base of the wall will soon be added, as will banners at the roof-line. Ballantyne said Canada Games House will be fully operational by Sept. 1.
The 2015 Canada Winter Games are set for Feb. 13 to March 1 of that year and will be the largest multi-sport and cultural event ever held in Prince George and Northern B.C. Athletes from all 10 provinces and all three territories will compete in 21 different sports.
Ballantyne said on Friday that the Canadian team currently in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics is 43 per cent stocked by Canada Games alumni.
The 2015 Canada Winter Games are expected to have a $70 million to $90 million economic impact on the region.
